Electrical locking and releasing switch



March 5, 1929. J. sTEPHENsoN ELECTRICAL LOCKING AND RELEASING SWITCH A2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 16, 1926 @QMS March 5, 1929.

J. sTEPHx-:NsoN 1,704,582

ELECTRICAL LOCKING AND RELEASING swxTcH Filed Nov. 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 J E M r Y I v I MII/m Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

PATENT oFFlcE.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OF KENSINGTON, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

ELECTRICAL LOCKING AND RELEASING.: SWITCH.

Application led November 16, 1926, Serial No. 148,749, and in Australia November 20, 1925.

rllhis invention relates to devices for closing and opening an electric circuit and its object is to provide a locking and releasing sivitcli (particularly applicable tothe ignition circuit ot a motor vehicle) ont combination or permutation type designed to prevent the unauthorized closure of the circuit by any person unacquainted with the particular (operative) combination.

ilhe invention consists in a 'device including a plurality or major group of keys ot which any preselected number or combination (hereinafter termed minor groupw) vvhen operated bridge a corresponding number ot normally open pairs or" contacts connected in series in the circuit and thus close the latter, means for retaining the keys in the operative or closing position, and other means tor releasing them and thereby opening the circuit When required or desired.

A feature of the invention is the connection in series with the operative contacts oi one or more additional contacts normally closed and the arrangement ot the key or keys corresponding to the latter so that when operated similarly to the othersa they act reversely and open the circuit at these contacts. The obect ci t' is is to prevent the closure ot the ircuit should all the keys be manipulated at one time9 one at least or tire keys operating to open circuit.

A `further feature ol' the invention is the operation of any one key only at one time releases any key which has been previously set to operative position, so that it is not possible close the circuit by manipulating the keys successively or even selectively in units, but all the keys constituting the operative or minor group or correct combination must be manipulated simultaneously.

A still further teature of the invention is that the visible ends of the keys return to normal position after manipulation and tlieretore those constituting the operative group even when in circuit-closing position are not distinguished from the others and the correct combination is not visibly disclosed at any time except during actual manipulation which occupies but a minimum of time.

To fully describe my invention l will no'W refer to the accompanyingr drawings which depict an embodiment of my invention and in them, y

Fig. l is a perspective View showing the J @y Lan llig. 2.

llig. 4 a Wiring diagram.

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic part sectional elevation on the dotted line 5-5 ot F ig. 3, showing certain keys in operative or circuitclosing position, and y llig. 6 a similar view showing the same keys released by the operation of a releasing key.

rlbe operative parts of the device are contained Within a box l i'itted with a coverplate ll and to which is attached an electric cable l27 the individual conductors passing into the box.

Keys, il, B, C, D, l, l?, G, l and K constituting the major group together with a release key M project through the cover plate ll, the individual keys et the .major group being distinctively marked as tor en ample by the letters by which they have been liereinbefore referred to and as shown in llig. l. i

Associated with and juxtaposed respectively to said keys A. to l inclusivea are pairs of spring contacts those shovvn in 2 being indicatedby reference characters lll,

. @l1 and K1, While in Figs. i and t5, one other, that is El, is shovvn associated with key E. lt will be understood that similar contacts, though not appearing the drawings., are provided in association with keys A? ld, Us D and E. These contacts are mounted upon insulating plate lll.

llhe keys slidethrough the cover plate ll and through a guide plate ls and each key orn major group is9 with one exception as hereinafter explained and in the embodiment selected as exemplify/ing my invention and depicted, constructed and operates as folle-Wsy particular' reference being made to the key shown at the left hand side ot' Fig. 5.

The stein G2 of the key is fitted With a sliding cap l@ outwardly pressed by a spring 1'? and having a shoulder 18 which contacts With the linner face of the cover plate 1l. 'The stem G2 has a conical shoulder 19, and spaced therefrom is a collar between which and the iXed guide plate 15 is a spring 2 urgin the stem G2 outwardly. end t e stem G2 is equipped with e contact At its inner piece 22 insulated from the stem and adapted to bridge the spring contacts G1 when the stem is pushed inwardly. A locking plate 23 formed with apertures 24 of a size to permit the passage therethrough of the conical shoulders 19 of the key stems G2,the periphery of each aperture normally embracing that portion of each stem between the collar 2O and shoulder 19. V'lhe locking plate 23 is slidable in a direction at right angles to the axes of the key stems, and is urged in one direction by a spring 25 (see Figs. 2 and 3) attached at one end to the fixed guide plate 15 and at the other to the locking plate.`

The insulating plate 14 'and guide plate 15 are mounted upon four posts 26 secured to the cover-plate 11 and formed with reduced portions or/Waists slidably embraced by slots 27 in the locking plate 23 (see Figs. 2 and 3).l

When a key such as G (Fig. 5) is in normal or inoperative position its collar 20 bears against the locking plate 23 while the cap 16 is urged outwardly by spring 17 and its shoulder 18 contacts with the cover plate 1l. When the cap 16 is pressed inwardly spring 17 is compressed, shoulder 18 contacts with shoulder 19 on the stem G2 so that :the latter moves inwardly; in so doing the conical surface of shoulder 19 contacts with the edge of aperture 24 and moves the locking plate laterally against the tension of spring 25, until aperture 24 registers with shoulder 19 (see Fig. 6),` Said shoulder 19 then passes through the aperture`24 and spring 25 pulls the plate 23 to normal position behind shoulder l9,thus locking the key in operative or circuit closing position in which the contact 22 meets and bridges spring contacts G1. In Fig. 5 keys H and E are shown in operative position.

Assuming that keys H and E (Fig. 6) are in this position it will be obvious that subsequent manipulationof key G would move the lockinggplate 23 to the right'and bring apertures 24 intof register with their shoulders 19 .thus permitting the keys to return to normal embodiment of my invention, key

positlon under the iniuence of spring 21 and openin the contacts H1 and 131.

If al the keys were constructed to o crate in the manner described it is obvious t at by simultaneously manipulating all of them all. .the pair of spring contacts would be bridgedj eration of the keys I will now refer to the wiring. I select as the operative or minor` group certain keys, as an example, keys H and E, and I connect their respectively assofied arrangement, the only keys which will f close the circuit are keys H and E, the circuit being closed through contacts H1, J1 and E1. On these keys being manipulated and their stems locked by the plate 23, their caps return to normal position by their springs 17 so that the actual operative keys though in circuit closing position are undistinguishable externally from the others.

To release the keys and thus again open the circuit, the release key M is pressed inwardly so that its conical shoulder M1 moves the locking plate to the right as shown in Fig. 6, but even the return movement'of t-he operative keys is not visible as their caps do not move.

Ifhave described an arrangement in which but it will be understood that any number and any arrangement may be adopted.

What I claim and desire to secure by Leti ters Patent is :f-

1. In an electric locking and releasing switch including a plurality of spring controlled keys, any selected number not less than two of which constitute circuit closing keys and one at least is a circuit opening key, a locking plate common to all the keys, means on cach key to move said plate laterally when a key is manipulated, and a spring urging said plate in reverse position to lock said key in manipulated position.

2. In an electric locking and releasing switch including a plurality of spring controlled keys, any selected number not less than two of which constitute circuit closing keys and one at least is a circuit opening key, and including keyldcking means, sliding caps on the outer ends of the keys and springs pressing said caps outwardly and operating to' maintain said caps in'one and the same planar position whether the keys are in locked or unlocked position.

3. In an electric locking and releasing switch includinga plurality of spring con# trolled keys, any selected number not less than two of which constitute circuit closing keys and one at least is a circuit opening key, and including key-locking means, a single release key operating, when manipulated, to move said locking means and release any key previously locked.

4. An electric locking land releasing less 'einen iiiee--e spring eieeiie contacts connected in seiies which ai; ieast two me normaily @pen anni 2me eiesed by manipula- 'iiom of eoiieepemdiiig kejys mici at least @ne is melma-i157 eiosed @5nd is opene icy manipulation si eerresponciing key, e, 'housing thiougii which said iey caps pejeet,

Signed et Sydney9 New South "Waes, Ausibmiie, deis fifteenth day ef @mohair9 A. ID., iw

JHN STEiPi-EENSON. 

